


Old Ghosts, Old Haunts

by nabswrites



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Gen, Juno is healing and Sasha takes notes, Kabert please give us some Sasha content in S3 I'm begging it would be so interesting, Minor Angst, Old Grief, emotionally honest conversation? in this podcast?, nebulously set during the S3 crime spree, references to season 2, some light kidnapping but it's fine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26993134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nabswrites/pseuds/nabswrites
Summary: With the advent of Newtown, there was no reason for Mayor O'Flaherty to let an old defunct factory stay standing.Sasha Wire needs some information.
Relationships: Juno Steel & Sasha Wire
Comments: 6
Kudos: 47





	Old Ghosts, Old Haunts

Her agent uncuffed Juno before shoving him into the room and slamming the door shut behind him. Juno stumbled before his legs found the table and he steadied himself enough to pull the bag off his head. Juno’s eye watered at the bright light of the interview room.

Her agents had been tailing him and “Rex Glass” since facial recognition had alerted her to Juno entering an art gallery, probably casing the place for his new friends. Of course, there were no hits for Glass despite the fact that he had definitely been added to the database at least twice by now. The two had split, and they only had orders to grab Juno.

Sasha Wire took a moment to observe him from behind the one way mirror. His glare was aimed somewhere over her shoulder, but it was a good guess.

He looked good. Weirdly good, in fact. He had a flowing silver evening gown with delicate dark blue stitching, and a matching blue satin eyepatch. His hair was cleanly styled, and his makeup was flawless except for some smudged lipstick.

In short, he looked one hell of a jump from the time he regularly had to be peeled off some dive bar floor, and way better than the last time she’d seen him even discounting the shit they’d been through that day. A life of crime seemed to suit him well.

The eyepatch was new, but she’d dug through his medical records after she got wind of what was happening in Hyperion City, so it was unsurprising.

The strangest difference was how he held himself now. His back seemed straighter, his shoulders more squared. Sasha was well used to the posture of an angry and defensive Juno Steel, and while he still looked plenty annoyed and ruffled from the treatment, there was something missing.

But differences or not, he was still Juno.

“You can’t treat a lady like this! I wanna talk to your manager! You’d better believe I’m gonna leave a shitty review! You can’t just go grabbing people off the street, this isn’t Mars!”

She didn’t respond, and after a moment he sat in one of the bolted down metal chairs with a huff. His hand twitched toward his shoe but her agent had already removed the plasma cutter hidden in the heel.

She’d been watching long enough. She had questions, and Juno had answers.

“Juno Steel, suspected member of the Aurinko crime family, wanted for questioning in regard to several high profile robberies.”

Juno sat back against the chair as she entered and crossed his arms.

“Agent Wire, Dark Matters sub-director. What do you want? You could have just called if you wanted to set up a playdate.”

She considered him again. No, it’s not that something was missing, it was that he had something she hadn’t seen in a long time. Not since they were four teenagers fighting the world. He had a quiet confidence. Like he knew he could handle whatever she threw at him and not break. Not that he could take a punch, but that nothing she could say would destabilize him.

“You’re looking worse for wear. Someone finally get a lucky shot?” Sasha sent a pointed glance at the right side of his face.

“If only. You’re looking greyer, pressures of bureaucracy getting to you yet?”

“Pencil pushing only leaves so much time for salon visits.”

The scowl was still familiar, at least.

“You’re not getting anything out of me, Sasha. What would Mick say if he knew you’re treating your old buddy like this?”

Sasha set the briefcase she was carrying on the table.

Juno eyed it warily. “You gonna tell me you’ve got a bunch of files with my name on them? Some black ops interplanetary arrest warrant?”

“Well, yes, but that’s not why you’re here.”

“Cool, so can I leave?”

Sasha ignored him and flipped open the latches on the briefcase. It opened to a velvet lining cradling an amber bottle and sparkling crystal glasses.

“Damn, Sub-Director Wire, they pay you enough for the top shelf stuff?”

“They keep this in a special cabinet just for dealing with hard-headed, self-destructive PIs.”

“Hey, I’m only one and a half of those things nowadays.”

“Sure you are.”

“No, really, ask anyone.”

“I’ll take a character reference. Wanna give me the contacts for your crewmates?”

Juno stared her down as she set up the glasses.

“Like I said, Juno, that’s not why you’re here.”

“Then why?”

Sasha took a deep breath to make sure her hand didn’t shake as she poured two generous glasses of whiskey. Not a drop out of place. She placed a glass in front of each of them.

“What happened to Oldtown, Juno?”

“Don’t you mean Newtown?”

“I really don’t.”

“What, you’re telling me you didn’t have Dark Matters mooks watching out of some crevice? You’re getting lazy, Sub-Director”

“We operate on a galactic scale, Steel, and you goddamn know nothing happens in Oldtown—nothing big enough to get outside attention, anyway. I heard about the dome the minute it went up, of course, but I didn’t have anyone inside.”

“It’s kinda a long story.”

“You got anywhere to be?”

"Uh, yeah, I kinda do, actually. Why not ask Mick? He was there the whole time."

"I did, but Mick is Mick. He didn't know anything useful. Just wanted to talk about how he hasn’t seen a single rat-roach since he got his new place and he felt lonely.”

Juno took a sip, considering the taste. It must have passed muster, because he took a second, longer sip.

“Fine. What do you want to know?” 

Might as well come out with it. She and Juno could take jabs at each other all day and get nowhere, and she was sick of waiting for answers.

“The factory is gone, Juno.”

A beat, then Juno’s eye widened and he put the glass down.“Oh, shit, Sasha.”

“Yeah.” She took a sip of her own glass. It was smooth on her tongue and burned her throat around the lump there.

“Was there... did anyone find....”

“I don’t fucking know, Juno. It was stripped for parts and leveled, now there’s a PARK of all things. A goddamn park for kids with a swing set and a fucking jogging path.”

“Eugh.”

“It’s supposed to be for families to go with their kids. It’s even got a little sign that says ‘NO ALCOHOL OR DRUGS’, can you even imagine?”

“That’s not fair to the kids,” Juno quipped.

“It’s so...clean now. I’d have never thought that was even possible.”

“I know what you mean.”

“The intel I do have tells me you were all buddy-buddy with the new Mayor, Ramses O’Flaherty.” 

Juno flinched at the name. A soft spot she could dig into, then.

“Helped him get the position, even. Can’t believe you of all people would show an interest in local politics, let alone get in bed with someone like that. He some sort of sugar daddy?”

Juno gagged, which turned into a cough when he choked on his whiskey.

“What the hell, Sasha! No, he was just an old creep who wanted to manipulate me in what was in his mind an attempt to make up for fucking us over when we were kids.”

“Explain.”

“Do I have to?”

Sasha glared across the table.

“Ugh, fine. Ramses O’Flaherty equals Jack Takano equals Turbo equals the guy who used me to steal Sarah’s presentation and got her fired which probably heavily contributed to the shitshow that was our childhood.”

That was not what Sasha was expecting Juno to say. She’s sure there’s a goldmine of triggers in there, but she would come back to that only if she had no other pressures.

“Well, shit, Steel.”

“Yeah, whatever. Can we get on with this?”

“Who did the construction for Newtown? I can’t track down a single work crew or building contract or license.”

“That’s part of the long story.”

“I want to know everything.” She slammed her unoccupied fist onto the table. “I deserve to know. The entirety of Oldtown was overhauled, every dump site aired out and polished to a damn shine. They must have found so many bodies, Juno. Who decided what to do with them?”

Juno took a long sip of his whiskey and set down the crystal with a thunk.

“Ramses O’Flaherty. Jack Takano. He was the mastermind.”

Sasha poured another stream of amber into both their tumblers.

“Sasha, I swear if this is spiked with any weird Dark Matters drugs, it better be the good stuff.”

“It’s not spiked,” Sasha said dryly.

“Really, really long story short: Ramses wanted to make everything better, and damn whoever got in the way of his great vision. I’m sure you sketchy creeps in Dark Matters are familiar with THEIA-brand technology?”

Sasha gave a single slow nod. The potential in that technology was incredible, and Dark Matters had a lot of fingers in a lot of pies.

“Ramses had this thing called the THEIA Soul, it basically brainwashed and took over whoever it was attached to and made everyone kinda part of a hive mind? Ramses wanted to fix Oldtown, so he put up that dome, infected everyone with the Soul, and they became his little worker ants. They did all of it themselves. I don’t know if there were any orders on paper, aside from the blueprints. He didn’t tell me what he did with Oldtown’s bodycount. Could have burned them, or made a mass grave for all I know.”

“And then Ramses died?”

“And then he died. Old bastard.”

Sasha slumped in her chair and let out a breath she’d been holding since she set foot on the new park grass. That was it then. No more leads, no more evidence to be found. No going back.

“I can’t believe I wasn’t watching. I have all the power in the galaxy, more eyes than a Martian spider, and I didn’t look for her. I could have disassembled that place screw by screw until I found something. Anything. A hair, blood, a shoe.”

Everything Sasha had done for just a bit of power and control, and she didn’t use her power for the one thing she really wanted.

“She’s really gone, isn’t she.”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck. Fuck!” Sasha wanted answers, dammit, but not that answer.

Juno just looked at her with an awful understanding. “Sasha, she’s been gone for a long time. She’s been a ghost for a long time. If she was ever going to be found, she would have been. I don’t think she’d be mad if you let her go.” Juno cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. “You know, I’ve been working on being better, myself. If you, um, if you want to, like, talk abou-”

“Finish that sentence, Steel, and I’ll throw you in a black site so deep and dark not even a debt collector could find you.”

“Yeah, I know you would.” He hid a fond smile behind another sip. 

The answers she wanted were still nowhere to be found, but she could at least solve the new mystery. “So, Juno, you seem...better. Lighter then you’ve been in a while. Finally let Mick take care of you?”

“Oh ha ha. But, yeah, I do feel lighter. I’ve finally laid Benten to rest. Sarah, too. I think I’ve finally forgiven myself.”

And that right there was just completely unbelievable. ”How?” How could a self-destructive asshole like Juno claw his way to emotional wellbeing?

“Honesty, with some vivid hallucinations while having a wildly dangerous surgery to get rid of a parasitic cybernetic eye that was slowing trying to take control of me.”

Which, looking at Juno’s absurd life, was not unbelievable. “Sounds pretty par for the course. And that did it? You had a trip and you’re all better?”

“No.” The seriousness surprised Sasha. In fact, a Juno Steel willingly talking about his feelings surprised Sasha. She’d been hoping for more of a reaction.

”I had to want it. I have to want it everyday. I decided I want to live, and you know what Sasha? It gets easier every day. It’s hard, yeah, probably the hardest thing I’ve done if I’m honest, but I don’t want to die anymore. I want to live, and I’m not going to let anyone take that from me.”

“Huh. Didn’t know you had it in you, after Benten.”

“Me either. But there are people who care about me. People I care about. If I want them to be treated right, I have to get my head out of my ass.”

“And are you?”

“Hmm?”

“Treated right. Or is this like last time?”

And there was the defensive Juno she’d been expecting the whole time.

“Didn’t know you knew about that.”

“I got the save-the-date. I did some research.”

“Of course you did.” Juno finished his glass in a gulp. “But, yeah, I am. Even Rita approves.”

“Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll grab your things.”

Sasha left Juno in the interview room as she grabbed his clutch bag. Her analysts had gotten it back to her quickly, but there was nothing aside from a fake ID, some creds, the plasma cutter, a small blaster, and his comms unit.

Juno’s comms beeped relentlessly when she powered it back on. Curious, Sasha answered.

_“Mistah Steel! Where have you been! Ransom said you never met him at the restaurant, and he had this really sad puppy look, and then I tried to track your comms but it was off and I wasn’t sure you knew how to do that, and-- ”_

“Rita.”

_"-then I thought you’d finally paid attention when I-wwwwait a second is that Agent Wire?! Mistah Steel should have just said he was meeting a friend! Now he’s got me all worried for nothing! Anyway, It’s been too long, Agent Wire! How’ve you been?? How’s Dark Matters? ”_

There was a pause for breath, then a gasp, and Rita barrelled on.

_“Oh wait we’re criminals now--Dark Matters is lookin’ for us-- Agent Wire did you kidnap Mistah Steel?! Oh I can’t believe this, what’s the galaxy coming to if you can’t go on a date without one of your oldest friends kidnapping you?? Agent Wire if you don’t give him back right now I swear I’ll, I’ll, I’ll do something you really don’t like!”_

Sasha heard furious typing in the background of the call, and she was woman enough to admit that the cold spike in her chest was fear.

“That won’t be necessary, Rita, Juno’s safe. He’ll be returned shortly.”

 _“Oh.”_ The typing mercifully cut off. _“Well, if you hurt him I’ll-! ”_

“No harm was done. Kidnapping aside, can’t two old friends have a drink and reminisce together?”

_“Oh. Well, that’s ok then. Still, ya couldn’t have waited until after date night? As much as I love them together and they’ve got their starcrossed lovers thing, just like in “Insufferable Romance VI: They’re Finally Together, For Real This Time”, if those two don’t get their tension sorted out I think Ves- Someone’s gonna strand them on some asteroid somewhere.”_

“We wouldn’t want that. Tell Agent Glass we’ll drop him off where we picked him up, if he wants to collect his lady.”

_“Oh, thanks but that’s ok. Can you drop Mistah Steel off at the Venusian restaurant off of 15th & Theta? Ranso-Um. Glass-is waiting there all sad and stuff, wouldn’twanttpkeephimwaitingBYE!” _

The call disconnected.

Sasha summoned one of her agents to wait in the hall when she rejoined Juno in the interview room, forlornly smoothing his skirt trying to work the wrinkles out. 

“What time is it anyway? Some of us have got places to be.”

“Yeah, whatever Juno, you’re not going to miss your hot date.”

Juno blinked at her. “How’d you--”

“Rita.”

“Ah. And Dark Matters is still standing?”

“I think that’s dependent on you making your reservation. But, first things first.”

Her agent stepped into the room around her and shoved a bag back over Juno’s head and hauled him to his feet.

“Hey! Is this really necessary?” Juno squawked. “Weren’t we having a moment a second ago?”

“Gotta at least try to keep up appearances, Steel. If you’re good on the trip back I might even let you keep the handcuffs.”

Juno was quiet for a second too long before he started sputtering, and Sasha made sure he could hear the smirk in her voice.

“And while we’re at it, I don’t suppose you’d like to provide any identifying information for Agent Glass?”

“Fuck off, Wire!”

She nodded to the agent and he marched Juno out of the room, to be loaded into a nondescript van and dropped at a much less nondescript restaurant. 

Sasha watched the door swing closed and finished her last sip of whiskey.

“Forgave yourself, huh? Seems like you’ve got me beat on that one, Juno. I wonder if there’s any of that for me."

She took her time replacing the glasses and bottle into the case. She met her own eyes in the mirror. She was older now, grey starting to peek through at her temples. She was so young once, so cruel and stupid and naive. She'd thought they were immortal and nothing really terrible could ever stick to them.

Annie's been a ghost for too long and now she didn't even have anywhere to haunt.

"I think you would have liked that park, Annie. I'm sorry you couldn't see it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I did my best to remember Sasha's episodes and characterization and plot points, but it's been a while. Please hmu if there are any terrible errors :)
> 
> ___
> 
> Meanwhile on the Carte Blanche:
> 
> "Rita, darling, who was that?"
> 
> "Oh that was Miss Agent Director Sasha Wire."
> 
> "...........not by any chance the same Sasha Wire who holds an unbelievably high office in Dark Matters?"
> 
> "That's the one! She and Mistah Steel go way back :3"
> 
> "WHAT"


End file.
